The Native Question - Part 2

I have added to my 'native' bases for DBA in the New World:

Skirmishers

back row - slingers & archers (Caesar Aztecs)

front row - slingers & atl atl (conversions)

Warriors

back row - Canari/Cunti (Incas), bowmen (Arabs) & blades (Aztecs)

front row - bow, slings & more bow (all conversions)

I decided to go for 3 skirmishers or 5 warriors to a square base.  Reasoning that I am only going to use these figures for "DBA in the New World" I thought that this was the best way.

So where do all these 'extras' come from?

 Waterloo 1815 - Dervish Infantry

I noticed that some Meso-American warriors (such as the Anti) had wrap-around breechclouts. 

(1)  Atl Atl - from plastic card & rod plus drawing pin shield

 original - fig 1c (PSR)

(2) Bowman - much trimming - quiver from sprue

original - fig 2a (PSR)

(3) Bowman - treatment as above - original standard-bearer for comparison

 (4) Slinger - sling from wire & putty, shield is a drawing pin head

original - fig 1a (PSR)

Now I need some blades - looking at Libyan warriors for them.

Also started on my Maya - watch this space!

The Native Question - Part 1

One of the problems with plastics is the over-supply of chiefs and not enough Indians.  Understandable from the suppliers point of view - the more attractive nobles will have greater appeal to the younger elements of our hobby.

A case in point is Aztecs (Caesar & Revell).  Nothing like enough peasants.  So where do I get enough Spanish auxilliaries from?

 Taken straight from the Caesar Aztec box

HaT Almoravid Arabs - repainted as Indian Auxilliaries

Taken from the Caesar Inca box - feathered spears are typical of Canari 

but the stripes are more Cunti or Colla.

I need at least 3 more stands of Indians for my Spanish in Mexico (or Peru) armies.  They are being worked on at the moment.  Watch this space!

Spanish Colonial

My first 20mm army for "DBA in the New World". 

5 x Shot - 1 x Lancer (knight) general - 1 gun - 8 x Half-pikes =  90 points

 Decided to put 'regular' shot and bow 4 to a base.  Makes the elements more flexible for other rules systems.  Keeping Lancers/Knights 3 to a base as well.

Still working on the 'native question' so that I can field Conquistador armies.  

 It's also dawning on me just how many Maya or Inca figures I am going to have to paint! 

Work in Progress - Renaissance Spanish

Well.....after all that analysis I just went on and started painting.  Not just Spanish but a couple of 30YW command bases:

30YW Swedish (Confederate cavalryman), 30YW French (temporary mounted figure) 

and Spanish Colonial.

On my painting table are the following:

16 - Crossbow                                18 - Sword & Buckler                            20 - Muskets   
24 -  Half-pikes                                 8 - Pikes                                                 9 - Indian Bow
15 - Indian Blades                             1 - Gun (plus 3 crew)                              3 - Lancers

Only 4 of the pikes have metal armour - the other four are cloth.  I have decided to allocate the former to a Spanish Imperial army for the Dutch Rebellion period.  The cloth four will become a colonial unit. 

Half-pikes provide an interesting problem.  Given their "Irregular" nature, and the terrain they had to work in, to me they are like Ax(X) in DBM terms so should be 3 to a base. 

(All conversions of musketeers)

Sword & buckler men are an easier decision - surely Bd(F) in DBM terms and therefore 3 to a base.

Muskets - I'm still torn between 3 or 4 to a base (any suggestions?).

Looks like this project is growing in an 'organic' manner in spite of its 'scientific' start.  Next thing to deal with is the 'native' problem.  Oh Well!

Going Back to the Source

I thought that I would take a look at the original site for 'DBA in the New World' - Steven's Balagan:

http://balagan.org.uk/war/dbx/dba/new-world/index.htm

...and what did I find:

Element Type		Abbreviation	Cost (AP)	Official DBA equivalents	Suggested Base Size (mm)	Suggested No. Figures
Lancer aka Knight		Ln	15	3Kn	40 x 40	3
Shooters	European	ShE	7	3Bw, 4Bw, CB	40 x 20	3-4
	Superior	ShS	5	4Ax, 3Bw, 4Bw	40 x 40	5-8
	Ordinary	ShO	3	3Ax, 3Bw	40 x 40	5-8
Blades	European	BdE	7	3Bd, 4Bd	40 x 20	3-4
	Superior	BdS	5	4Bd, 3Wb, 4Wb	40 x 40	5-8
	Ordinary	BdO	3	3Ax, 4Bd, 5Wb	40 x 40	5-8
Skirmishers (i.e. Psiloi)		Sk	2	2Ps	40 x 20	2
Artillery		Art	15	Art	40 x 40	1 gun + crew
Litter (i.e. WWg (I) )		Lit	3	Lit	40 x 40	1 litter + crew
Pike		Pk	3	4Pk	40 x 20	4
Spear		Sp	4	3Sp, 4Sp	40 x 20	4
War dogs (i.e. Warband)		Wb	3	3Wb	40 x 40

I also searched for photos - Will McNally's blog provided Conquistadores, Aztec & Maya:

http://willwarweb.blogspot.co.uk/

Conquistadores -  standard bases - Shooters & Blades (3), Lancers (2), War dogs (3), Artillery (1)
Aztecs - all on squared bases - Shooters & Blades (5), Skirmishers (3)
Maya - all on squared bases - Blades (4), Skirmishers (3)

The squared bases follow the ideas of Michael Fischer:

http://fanaticus.org/DBA/variants/squarebases.html

Now I need to sit down and compare the evidence before me.

Sorting Out the New World - Part 2

After a DBR troop type grid I looked at DBA & HOTT:

	DBA
Depth	Troop Type	No. per base
80	Artillery	1
30	Auxilia	3 to 4
30	Blades (3 Bd)	3
20	Blades (4 Bd)	4
60	Blades (6 Bd)	6
30	Bows	3 to 4
60	Bows (6 Bw)	6
40	Camelry (3 Cm)	3
30	Camp Followers	2 to 4
40	Cavalry (3 Cv)	3
80	Cavalry (6 Cv)	6
80	Cavalry (Lch)	1
80	Elephants	1
40	Hordes (7 Hd)	7 to 8
40	Knights (3 Kn)	3 to 4
80	Knights (6 Kn)	6
80	Knights (Hch)	1
40	Light Horse (2 Cm)	2
40	Light Horse (2 Lh)	2
20	Pikes (4 Pk)	4
30	Psiloi (2 Ps)	2
80	Scythed Chariots	1
30	Spears (3 Sp)	3
20	Spears (4 Sp)	4
20	Warband (3 Wb)	3
30	Warband (4 Wb)	4
40	Warband (5 Wb)	5 to 6
120	War Wagons (Lit)	5 to 6
120	War Wagons (Wwg)	1

	HOTT
Depth	Troop Type	No. per base
80	Airboat	1
80	Artillery	1
80	Beasts	2 to 4
80	Behemoth	1 to 4
20	Blades	4
40	Clerics	1 to 3
80	Dragon	1
40	Flyers	1 to 3
40	Hero	1 to 3
60	Hordes	5 to 8
60	God	1
40	Knights	2 to 4
40	Lurkers	1 to 3
80	Magicians	1 to 3
40	Paladin	1 to 3
40	Riders	2 to 3
30	Shooters	4
30	Sneakers	1 to 3
20	Spears	4
30	Warband	3

To be continued .......

Sorting Out the 'New World'.

Looking at my stash of Spanish Renaissance figures I managed to put together a DBA-RRR 1.41 Spanish Colonial army (12 elements).  Painting commenced - then I thought about the 'DBA in the New World' rules set.  Would it be possible to combine the two?

My first step was to look at troop basing.  The listing in the DBR (v1.1) book is in an interesting order so I worked out a grid that I prefered.

  DBR – 25mm scale        Frontage – 60mm
       

Depth	Troop Type	No. per base
60	Artillery (I), (F) or (X)	1 to 2
60	Artillery (S) or (O)	1
60	Baggage
30	Blades (S), (O), (F) or (I)	3
20	Blades (not F) – alternative	3
120	Boats (S) or (F)	1
120	Boats (O) or (I)	2 to 4
30	Bows (S) or (O)	3
30	Bows (I)	3
40	Camelry (S) or (O)	2
40	Camelry (F)	1
60	Dragoons	3
80	Elephants	1
120	Galleys	1
40	Hordes	5 to 8
40	Lancers	2
40	Light Horse	1
30	Pikes	4
20	Pikes (alternative)	4
40	Pistols (S),(O) or (I)	3
40	Pistols (F)	2
120	Pontoneers
120	Ships	1
30	Shot	3
40	Sipahis	2
30	Skirmishers	1
30	Warband	3
20	Warband (S) – alternative	3
120	War Wagons	1

Next was to look at the DNW troop definitions:

Artillery
Blades
Camp Followers / BUA  Denizens
Cavalry
Elephants
Lancers                                       "Knights are simply renamed as Lancers"
Light Horse
Litter
Pikes
Shooters                                    "Treat Shooters as DBA Bows"
Skirmishers
Spears
War dogs                                   "Warband has only been retained for War Dogs"

European troops - Bd(E) or Sh(E) - 3 or 4 per base [author prefers 3]
Natives - if DBx (3 or 4), author prefers 5 to 8 (as Horde), alternative - 2 x DBx (6 to 8)


To be continued .....